Hi! A warm welcome to the Songs of the Season music hop, and thanks for dropping by. There are so many beautiful songs for this season, and we love them all, including this one - a quirky, sunny song that's a little bit seasonal, and a little bit sci-fi.

Lyrics: A spaceman came travelling on his ship from afar'Twas light years of time since his mission did startAnd over a village he halted his craftAnd it hung in the sky like a star, just like a starHe followed a light and came down to a shedWhere a mother and child were lying there on a bedA bright light of silver shone round his headAnd he had the face of an angel, and they were afraidThen the stranger spoke, he said, 'Do not fear,I come from a planet a long way from here,And I bring a message for mankind to hear.'And suddenly the sweetest music filled the air...More lyrics for this song

About (via Wikipedia): Songwriter Chris De Burgh, who'd just signed his first recording contract with A&M Records, was broke and staying at a friend's flat when he read Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past by Erich von Däniken. The book made him think, 'what if the star of Bethlehem was a space craft and what if there is a benevolent being or entity in the universe keeping an eye on the world and our foolish things that we do to each other?'He imagined 'the nativity scene, the thing hovering over and I could see the shepherds in the fields and this weird, ethereal music was drifting into the air and they were, "What the heck is that?"' But he 'had no ideas about trying to write a hit record.' The song failed to chart when it was first released as a single, but later gained in popularity as other artists recorded the song.

Hi! A warm welcome to the Songs of the Season music hop, and thanks for dropping by. There are so many beautiful songs for this season, and we love them all. Just for fun, we've picked a song that's not a traditional carol; it's modern, but it's also a bit lighthearted and silly.

Hi! Thanks for dropping by to enter to win the nice prize bundle for Video Week: Random Magic (Dec. 15-24, 2012).UPDATE: Dec. 31, 2012 - Contest has wrapped, winner has been selected and notified. Thanks to everyone for playing, it was a fun tour!

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

Each vlogger will share their personal answer to a specific question, somewhere in their vlog(s). Just watch the tour vlogs, comment on the vlog, then collect each vlogger's pick.

The question: If you could give or keep a gift of ONE thing from the world of Random Magic, what would it be?

HOW TO PLAY

1. WATCH ANY TOUR VIDEOWatch any video from this tour. Listen for each vlogger's answer on which gift they'd give or keep, from the world or Random Magic - they'll tell you about it somewhere in their video.

2. LEAVE A COMMENTLeave a comment below his/her video.

3. ENTER TO WINThen just click over from their video page to enter the answer into the Rafflecopter. The Rafflecopter is shown below. It's totally okay to paraphrase the answer in your own words.

The Video Week: Random Magic prize bundle offer is international, and offer is good through December 31, 2012, midnight EST. Good luck to all!

a Rafflecopter giveawayWhat do I get if I win?: Everything! There won't be multiple prize packs, one winner takes all. If you'd like to know what the prize bundle is before you enter, feel free to browse below to see what you'd be receiving.

How do I do this?: Just visit the vloggers on this tour and keep a lookout for their Random Magic answers, which they'll share with you. Comment on their vlog, then come here to enter his or her answer about which gift they'd bring away from the world of Random Magic. Collect a few different answers and you might be the one who'll be receiving this nice prize bundle for book lovers.

How do I use Rafflecopter? What info do I need? Is it a hassle?: Nope, Rafflecopter is really easy to use. It's easy to enter all of your info into the Rafflecopter, you'll just need your name or nickname and an email address where you can be contacted, if you win. Someone has helpfully uploaded a quick walk-through about entering using Rafflecopter, and you're welcome to check that out below. To protect the individuals who are playing the game fair and square, we will verify each entry before the final draw is made. Invalid entries will be deleted.

The contest is open to *all, international, and the offer is good through December 31, 2012, midnight, EST. Good luck to all!

*Ineligible: Bloggers found to have 'no indies' review policy in effect at their blogs.

About: When absent-minded Professor Random misplaces the main character from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, young Henry Witherspoon must book-jump to fetch Alice before chaos theory kicks in and the world vanishes.

Along the way he meets Winnie Flapjack, a wit-cracking doodle witch with nothing to her name but a magic feather and a plan.

Such as it is.

Henry and Winnie brave the Dark Queen, whatwolves, pirates, Strüths, and fluttersmoths, Priscilla and Charybdis, obnoxiously cheerful vampires, Baron Samedi, a nine-dimensional cat, and one perpetually inebriated Muse, to rescue Alice and save the world by tea time.

Shown above: Best Bits! (Summer tour). This video features a more in-depth look at the book, and includes dramatic readings, comedy skits, an online game, and other delightful things.Shown above: Best Bits! (Autumn tour). This video also features a more in-depth look at the book, and includes comedy skits, original music, and other cool things.

Collectible plushie - Patchwork cat

About: Gone, the imperious cat with, literally, nine lives, is an amusing character who winds his way through the story of Random Magic, vanishing and reappearing in the oddest places. Here we have a cute plushie that could very well be Gone having a little stretch and a peek into our world, for all we know. This little plushie is a collectible item - he's also ridiculously cute. Details: Beanie Baby, official name Kaleidoscope the Cat, retired March 2001, 6.5 inches (16.51 centimeters) tall.

Shown above: Film trailer for Alice Through the Looking Glass

DVD - Alice Through the Looking GlassAbout: Of course, Random Magic begins when absent-minded Professor Random misplaces the main character from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland(1865). There've been many movie versions of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and a few of the sequel to that original adventure, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871). This film version featuring actor Kate Beckinsale is one of the trippiest, most vivid and artistic versions of that story you'll ever see - and visually, it's a perfect match for the colorful and outlandish world of Random Magic.Note: DVD only available for Region 1 (NTSC), although it should be playable on a region-free DVD player. Check your region

Plushie - Alice, from Alice's Adventures in WonderlandAbout: Cute little plushie version of Alice, the main character from Lewis Carroll's classic upside-down tale, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.Details: Alice thought she'd found just the place she was looking for, when she fell into Wonderland, but ended up wanting something a little less...mad. This enchanting Alice plush stands approximately seven inches (17.78 centimeters) tall, and features the blond heroine in a signature blue and white dress. - Manufacturer description

Commentary: Quirky and subtly colorful sort of reading spot; it almost looks like a theater set or backstage lounge area, but quite welcoming for a reader, as well. The low-lying table can hold books, tray of tea or fruit, stacks of papers and notes. The divan looks comfortable, and the entire spot has sort of a sequestered feeling to it, as if it's a nice place to pass an hour or two browsing a new book.

Commentary: Clearly a bookish cocoon for a leisurely rainy day, when the primary objective is to sprawl comfortably and just read for hours. The stacks of hardcovers serve almost like makeshift tables, the couch looks sturdy but comfy, with plenty of pillows in soft materials. A bit boho, cluttered and casual. The forecast calls for rain? Well, then!

Location: Not specifiedPhotographer: Not specifiedDesigner: Not specified

Songs of the SeasonEvent production byRandom Magic TourSasha Soren (Random Magic)Dec. 10-25, 2012Join us for a virtual round of caroling, with Songs of the Season, a fun and quirky music hop. Discover new and wonderful songs each day of the hop, handpicked by great bloggers and vloggers - plus lots of other cool things to browse.

Commentary: What's nice about this is that either way, a book lover is covered - there's either the comfy couch or the divan close by, for reading at night, then there's a cute little set of chairs on the balcony for some morning browsing. Lots of light, colorful and cheery, not too cluttered, and even that rug looks comfy for a lazy reader who can't be bothered to choose from between three great choices, but decides instead to just sprawl on the floor, flipping through a huge coffee table book.

Welcome, dear guests! You've arrived at a rather lovely soirée in honor of Talk like Jane Austen Day. Talk like Jane Austen Day is an annual event, marking the anniversary of the first printing of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Austen's first published novel.

In honor of the day, we've assembled a delightful collection of interesting features on all things Jane Austen and her times. Feel free to stop in at any blog below to enjoy something interesting, and to leave your calling card (link to your blog) in the comments section of any blog, if you've particularly enjoyed your visit.

Just browse below for a delightful Austen-related tidbit offered to you by the co-hosts of A Rather Lovely Soirée for Talk like Jane Austen Day. Here is Random Magic Tour's Austen-related treat for you - a free-to-play online game featuring Jane Austen characters, providing you with an hour or so of pleasant diversion.

Game description (via Legacy Games): Join the original social networker, Jane Austen, and her beloved characters, in this free-to-play Facebook game set in Regency England. Explore scenes from Jane Austen's novels to find clues and hidden objects, entertain your guests and potential suitors, and decorate your manor in any way you please.

Welcome to Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat! The first blog hop was a Bookie Brunch special event for Halloween, and it was a lot of fun, so we're just continuing the tradition.On each blog stop from now through Halloween, a blogger or vlogger will have a handpicked Halloween treat to share with you - it might be a video clip, or a feature about great spooky films, a playlist of great, creepy songs, a recipe for treats, or a gallery of witches.It might be anything! But it's sure to be something fun, so feel free to drop by each day from October 23-31, to pick up some cute treats to put you in the Halloween mood. All the treats will be added into the linky at the end of this post, so feel free to browse.Just click on any of badges at the end of the post, to find a new treat! There'll be some fun new things to enjoy every day, all week (Oct. 23-31).

The treat: Dim the lights and turn up the speakers as you enjoy a theatrical reading of that spookiest of creepy tales, Dracula.Notes (via Librivox): Bram Stoker did not invent the vampire story, but he popularized it with his classic 1897 novel. In form, Dracula is an epistolary novel, told through a series of journal entries, letters, newspaper articles, and telegrams. It begins with lawyer Jonathan Harker's perilous journey to Castle Dracula in Transylvania, and chronicles the vampire's invasion of England, where he preys upon the lovely Lucy Westenra. Summary by Elizabeth Klett, artwork shown above courtesy of TheCount68. Technical details: 18:02:32, MP3 format, free download, streamable. Alternate audio book version is available here.CLICK TO STARTAbout Bookie Brunch: Bookie Brunch was a weekly book discussion founded by Sasha Soren, the author of Random Magic. Browse archive

Hi! Thanks for stopping by for Random Magic Tour's treat for A Fanciful Twist's Halloween party. For this stop, we're sharing a classic movie treat. So, dim the lights and pull out some popcorn, and treat yourself to a romantic, scary movie - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Shown above: Preview the trailer for this film

About (Via IMDB): When Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man he just created, the monster escapes and later swears bitter revenge on his creator.

Shown above: Mary Shelley, circa 1840. Artist was Richard Rothwell.

The novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, was written by novelist Mary Shelley. The first edition of her novel was published anonymously in London, England, in 1818, and the story of Frankenstein and his pitiable creature have since been adapted into dozens of movie versions.

As a Halloween treat, we present the 1994 film version of this Gothic classic, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, courtesy of broadcaster Crackle.This film is recommended for mature audiences only. Running time: 2:03:12, rated R, age verification will be requested before streaming begins.

Crackle's summary of the film: In the most famous horror story of all time, young Victor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh, who also directed) leaves Geneva for the university, leaving behind his adopted sister Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), with whom he is wildly in love.

Inspired by the sinister Professor Waldman (John Cleese), Victor becomes obsessed and reclusive as he experiments with the possibilities of man-made creation. But one night, as his creature (Robert De Niro) struggles to life, Victor realizes too late the full horror of what he has done, and vainly tries to destroy his abominable creation.

Believing the creature has perished of cholera, Victor returns home and makes plans for his marriage. Alone, despised and driven by a rage born of emotional agony, the creature sets off to find his maker, and so begins the nightmare that will engulf Victor Frankenstein and all those he loves. In this suspenseful horror tale, film legend Robert DeNiro brings a frightening realism to his portrayal of the tragic creature created, then abandoned, by Victor Frankenstein.

Wrapped: Oct. 31, 2012: Video Week: 'Random Magic' (Oct. 21-31)

Wrapped: Oct. 31, 2012: Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat! (Oct. 23-31)

Wrapped: Oct. 30, 2012: A Rather Lovely Soirée for Talk like Jane Austen Day (Oct. 30)

Click pic to browse archived program.

Wrapped: Oct. 27, 2012: A Fanciful Twist's Halloween party

Click pic for archived post from this event.

Wrapped: July 30, 2012

Video Week: Random Magic, July 21-30, 2012.

About: You are cordially invited to join us for an entertaining week of cool reviews and creative features from vloggers around the world. Browse schedule

Update: Tour wrapped on July 30, 2012.

Wrapped: December 2012: Book Nooks

Wrapped: December 2012

About: Show us something pretty! You're welcome to participate in Book Nooks each weekend - just share the image of a perfect spot for reading. Every weekend (Friday through Sunday) through December 2012. Browse or Post your pick

This feature has now wrapped (Dec. 2012).

Wrapped: June 2012

Wrapped: Jan. 26, 2012

@RandomMagicTour was one of the first to participate in a cute new feature hosted by Snowdrop Dreams of Books through 2012. The weekly meme features desert island must-haves and includes profiles of authors and bloggers. See you there!